Fortran 95 Compiler

[Derick Centeno]

Hi Thomas:

YDL includes g77 (it implements ANSI Fortran 95, I believe -- if you 
select the options within the compiler to obey those rules) which is 
the free open source GPL (General Public License) Fortran compiler.  
g77 is part of the standard installation, if I recall correctly.  There 
are other Fortran compilers but they are commercial -- as in not free, 
and usually start within the $300+ range (and that doesn't include 
specialized packages).  Absoft provides a really complete Fortran 
compiler.  If you are developing code professionally then you can 
defray these costs according to the commercial projects you are engaged 
in.  You may also be able to defray the costs for the commercial 
packages as a professional within academia.

If you were paying attention during the YDL installation process you 
would have noticed that there are many free programming packages 
available for use within YDL (for use in C/C++ and Fortran as well as 
others) which implement very advanced mathematical algorithms.  
However, they are not installed unless you select them.  There are 
brief descriptions of each package to help you decide whether these 
could be useful within your area of expertise.

Fortunately, the very big advantage in using g77 and other GPL based 
languages is that you can implement your work, and engage in as much 
research as necessary without unnecessary financial expenses.  If you 
need something, you can always build it yourself.  Necessity, remains 
the mother of invention.  This can be a positive experience in which 
one's programming skills expand in otherwise unexpected ways.  
Eventually you may find that you may have developed and expanded an 
open source application by adding a completely new feature.  This is 
definitely another way to get noticed within your area of interest.  
However, you can also discover that something you need -- a package, 
which implements a particular algorithm -- may exist within the open 
source community already.  You may be pleasantly surprised.  You could 
find yourself also easily disappointed.  However, the open source 
Fortran is standard (depending upon what settings you choose during 
compile time) and as a programmer it is not a bad place to evolve one's 
skills.

The commercial products from Absoft are definitely outstanding, but 
whether they are justified as a purchase is question dependent upon 
what you intend to do.  You may discover that working with g77 may be 
all that you really need a for a long time.  If not, there is always 
Absoft.

Best wishes...

On Dec 16, 2005, at 9:09 PM, Thomas Madden wrote:

> Hello,
> I have installed YDL 4.0.1 on a Mac G4 533 dual. I am interested in
> beginning programming. I have a background in math, so I was hoping to 
> learn
> Fortran. Can you tell me if there is a Fortran 95 compiler available? 
> And,
> can you explain how to install it?
>
> Also, can you offer me some advice on how to get started. What exactly 
> do I
> need to install in addition to the compiler? And, what steps do I take 
> to do
> this?
>
> Thanks in advance for any assistance.
>
> Thomas
>
>
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